Letter from James O'Connor to Patrick Dyer, 27 November 1915 Letters 1916-1923 James O'Connor

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This is a letter from James O'Connor, a solicitor based on Dame Street in Dublin, to Patrick Dyer. O'Connor writes to enclose a letter from the Chief Crown Solicitor. Dyer had been arrested, presumably under the new Defence of the Realm Act, and the Chief Crown Solicitor's office had written to inform O'Connor of the date of his hearing. Both letters are included here. Written on the back of both letters is a note from Desmond FitzGerald (1888-1947), presumably to his wife Mabel FitzGerald (née Washington McConnell) (1884-1958). The note refers to family visits, his children and asks that news to passed to the family of a fellow prisoner.Desmond FitzGerald was serving a six month sentence in Mountjoy prison having been convicted under the new Defence of the Realm legislation for making a seditious speech and was in prison with Dyer. He later served in the GPO during the Easter Rising, being placed in charge of the garrison's food supply. He initially escaped arrest after the Rising but was soon rounded up and imprisoned in Mountjoy, Dartmoor, Maidstone, Lewes and Portland.

 University College Dublin Archives FitzGerald Papers, P80/1535 https://letters1916.ie/item/12 English James O'Connor 1915-11-27 57 Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland Patrick Dyer Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, Ireland Male Law and Judiciary

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 James O'Connor, Solicitor. TEL NO 4736. 57 Dame Street, Dublin. 27th November, 1915. Dear Sir, I herewith enclose you a copy letter which came from the Chief Crown Solicitor this morning which speaks for itself. I shall call to see you at three o'clock on Monday. Yours faithfully J O'Connor Patrick Dyer, Esq., H.M. Prison, Mountjoy, Dublin. Copy re Patrick Dyer 26th November 1915 Dear Sir, I have ascertained that this case will be heard in the Southern Police Court Dublin on Tuesday next at 12 o'clock or as soon after that hour as the other business will permit. yours truly Signed M. Kelly James O'Connor Esq., Solicitor, 57 Dame St., Dublin. Ordinary visit on Monday permits 3 persons for 20 minutes. Ask for permission for 4 persons — my mother,brother, sister, wife — for a longer period. Ask D. Rynd to write to Mrs. E Mac- Queen, 98 Hyndford Rd, Bloomfield Belfast - am old parishioner of her father's — to tell her that her son is in Mountjoy for desertion. He would like to know if she has received any of his allotment, what her circumstances are at present. He much regrets the trouble he has caused her. He leaves Mountjoy Jan 19 th & will be taken to Victoria Barracks Belfast. If D.S. doesn't get a reply within one week she might come to visit the prisoner. I hope Mclave is visited every day. Get E. O'Duffy or McCarthy to check and oil my bicycle & the other plaything As much chocolate in the smallest possible space. There may be a chance. I have received all the news & am delighted & thankful that Demeen is saved to us, & well again, God bless him. I am in excellent spirits & health & count everyone to be perfectly happy & Xmas & not to worry about me in the least. I have no expectation of getting out before March 31 st. I am looking forward to Monday all the time. After that it will be to the letter & then to the next visit & so on till I am out again. I do hope that my imprisonment won't damp my dear ones' spirits at Xmas. I am in excellent form - fatter than I have ever been in my life. A very very happy Xmas to all my dear ones. I shd. like to be there with them, but it can't be helped. I am more thankful than I can say that my wee son is spared, how small a matter is this little term of imprisonment when one thinks of that. I hope that as soon as ever it is possible, we shall all be together in my mother's house. I know my mother will like being in Dublin again. I imagine that the place she lived in as a child will be near Phoenix Park. My dear ones will be doing me an ill turn if they go worry about me in stead of being perfectly happy as I am thinking of the visit on Monday. Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, Ireland Letter from James O'Connor to Patrick Dyer, 27 November 1915Letter from Desmond FitzGerald to Mabel FitzGerald, 8 November 1915Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to North Circular Laundry, 17 November 1915.Letter from North Circular Laundry to Charles Arthur Munro, 16 December 1915.Letter from Dr Kathleen Lynn to Miss Carney, 6 June 1916Letter from Mabel FitzGerald to the Governor, Mountjoy Prison, 2 June 1916.Letter from the Charles Arthur Munro, the Governor of Mountjoy Prison, to Mabel FitzGerald, 5 June 1916.Letter from Charles Arthur Munro to Mabel FitzGerald, 24 November 1915Letter from North Circular Laundry to Charles Arthur Munro, 18 November 1915Letter from Eamonn O’Modhráin to Mary Moran, 6 December 1920 57 Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland Letter from James O'Connor to Patrick Dyer, 27 November 1915 James O'Connor Letter from James O'Connor to Patrick Dyer, 27 November 1915